How to Control Asthma Without Medicine

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Asthma, a chronic lung condition, inflames the airways and makes them swell. These inflamed airways then react to triggers, causing the muscles around them to tighten and restrict air flow, resulting in symptoms like tightness of the chest, wheezing, trouble breathing, and coughing. There several alternative methods to managing asthma, from increasing your vitamin intake, to lung strengthening and yoga to natural remedies. Always talk to your doctor before ceasing the use of your asthma medication, or beginning any alternative treatment methods.

Consume food with Vitamin B complex to control your asthma. Vitamin B6 and B12 control the chain of anti-inflammatory agents in the body that lead to a spasm of the windpipes and can prevent asthma attacks.

Increase your daily intake of magnesium. Magnesium is known to reduce the deposition of cholesterol plaques in your blood vessels and prevent hypertension. This vitamin also helps to prevent asthma from getting worse as you get older. The daily recommended dose of magnesium for adults is about 300 mg.

Increase your intake of Vitamin C. Studies have shown having an intake of 2000 micrograms of Vitamin C every day day reduces the histamine levels in the body.[1] Asthmatics can have an asthma attack due to increased levels of histamine in the body, which occurs when they are exposed to an allergen.

Eat food that contains selenium. Selenium is an anti-inflammatory agent and very useful in controlling asthma. Selenium also reduces bronchial inflammation.[2] You need to consume about 50-70 mcg/day of selenium a day.

Consume food that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin A. Vitamin A and Omega 3 fatty acids both are known anti-inflammatory agents. They reduce the pro-inflammatory agents and thus reduce the spasms that signal an asthma attack.

Vitamin A is found in yellow orange fruits like mangoes, papaya, carrots, bell peppers and pumpkin.[3]

Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fish like mackerel, salmon and herring.

Blow a candle from a distance of 1 meter every day for at least 10 minutes. Place a candle 1 meter from where you are seated on a table. Sit across the table and try to blow the candle out with one deep breath. Pushing out all the air in your lungs will increase the breathing capacity of your lungs as well as reduce the volume of the residual air in the lungs. The more the residual volume, the more the lungs are damaged as they cannot exchange air well.

Once you can blow the candle from a distance of 1m, move it further away from you and repeat the same procedure.

Blow up a balloon each day for at least 10 minutes. This exercise will improve your breathing capacity and increase your total lung volume, as well as decrease the residual volume in your lungs.

The goal is to exert your lungs and expand them so that they will remain that way and the bronchial tubes will not get constricted too often. This exercise will also reduce the feeling of breathlessness when an asthma attack occurs.

Take up swimming to improve your breathing capacity. Swimming will also help to reduce fatigue and breathlessness. Initially, your lungs may feel tired or worn out but as you continue swimming, your respiratory muscles will become stronger and you will feel more comfortable when you breathe.

Water also offers lesser resistance to the body and is a great way to improve your lung capacity.

Start by swimming 15 minutes a day and slowly increase up to 30 minutes or more per day.

Go for brisk walks. Brisk walking in the early part of the day improves breathing capacity of the lungs. This will then reduce the spasms of the bronchial tubes and enhance your breathing.

A walk early in the morning also helps to stimulate the metabolism and wake it up from the night’s slacked pace. This improves your metabolism, bolsters your circulation and helps clear out allergens and inflammatory substances that tend to accumulate overnight.

Start with a 10 minute brisk walk or a shorter distance if this is too much for you. Increase the time slowly up to as much as forty minutes a day, at least 5 times a week, to see significant results.

Get a lung function test or Spirometry test to track your improved lung capacity. The lung function tests or Spirometry tests determine your lung’s capacity to comfortably and forcibly breathe air in and out. A small tube is attached to a machine that makes calculations of the air you breathe into the tube.

You should see drastic improvements in your test results after repeating these exercises for three months.[4]

Do Pranayama breathing exercises. Yogic asanas (or poses) are associated with deep breathing and physical stances that help expand the lungs. They are immensely beneficial for asthmatics to gain better control over their asthma.[5]

Sit on the yoga mat with your legs crossed. Place your hands on your knees and make sure your back is straight and erect.

Breathe in and out deeply five times. Repeat this for 10 minutes every day.

Practice Matsya Asana or “fish pose”. This pose allows the lungs to be filled with the maximum amount of air.[7]

Lie down on your back on the floor or a yoga mat. Your legs should be straight and your arms can be placed on either side of your body.

Keeping the lower portion of your body relaxed and passive, gradually raise your head so the top of your head touches the floor. Your chest will also slowly lift upwards. You may place weight on your elbows to help prop your chest up. Your lungs should be fully expanded with air.

This posture will stretch your neck and your upper chest as well as your spine. Bending your spine upward will allow for full expansion of your lungs.

Raise your arms in the air so that your spine is stretched to its fullest height. Breathe in and out consciously and deeply. This will help expand the lungs to their maximum and help you mentally relax.

This pose also tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles, which are a key support for heavy respiration and breathing.

Add a pinch of turmeric to a glass of hot milk and sip it. The cur-cumin content in turmeric makes it antiviral and antibacterial. The anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties of turmeric will help to clear your throat.[10] It also relieves chest congestion and cures cough.

Drink a solution of cloves twice a day. Take about six cloves and add them to half-a-cup of water and bring it to boil. Filter it and add a teaspoon of honey.[11]

The antiviral, antimicrobial, antiseptic and aphrodisiac properties of cloves help to address various health conditions, including asthma. It is an expectorant too, so it helps to expel excess mucus in your throat.

Eugenol, an active element in cloves, is an analgesic, which also helps to relieve pain.

You can also use powdered cloves. Add a teaspoon of powdered clove to half-a-cup of water and boil.

Have an apple a day or at least once every two days. Apples are rich in phytochemicals, which help to improve lung capacity. Phytochemicals also regulate inflammatory response. Flavonoid, a phytochemical, protects the lung lining by reducing airway inflammation. Since apple contains quercetin, just like onions and green tea, it helps to treat asthma symptoms related to an allergy.[12]

Eat figs. Soak three to four dried figs in water overnight. Eat the figs on an empty stomach in the morning and drink the water the figs were soaked in. The expectorant properties in figs help to clear the phlegm in the respiratory tract that can cause wheezing. This not only helps to treat asthma but can also prevent the condition too.[13]

Figs also contain phytochemical compounds which undo the effects of free radicals and prevent the attack of infections and other health conditions. Free radicals in the environment can trigger asthma and hence fighting free radicals becomes essential to cure this condition.

Drink ginger tea. Take a piece of ginger about an inch long and crush it. Fresh ginger works best for respiratory conditions. Add it to a cup of water and boil. Filter it and drink the tea twice, once in the morning and once in evening.

Ginger tea reduces inflammation due to asthma. Gingerol, an active component in ginger, helps to clear mucus by warming up the nasal passage. Ginger is also known for its antiviral properties, which helps to treat coughs.

Avoid using dried ginger if you are having acidic issues as dried ginger may trigger acidic pain.

Drink garlic tea once a day to clear lung congestion. Crush 10 cloves of garlic and add it to a cup of water. Boil it and drink it after filtering.

Owing to its powerful expectorant quality, garlic acts as a wonderful remedy to address respiratory disorders. It promotes mucus expulsion, thereby enhancing breathing capacity. The allicin in garlic also prevents and aids in curing cold and cough.

Eat basil leaves. Take a fistful of basil leaves and crush them well. Add a teaspoon of honey to them and eat them.

Basil is a great expectorant. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties, which help to treat coughs. Being an expectorant, it promotes removal of phlegm from bronchial tubes thereby reducing the severity of the symptoms of asthma.

Drink gooseberries once a day in the morning. Crush two gooseberries and add a teaspoon of honey to them.

Gooseberry is a rich source of Vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the lungs and help to improve lung performance.

The Vitamin A content in gooseberry helps to treat infections in the respiratory tract, thereby addressing asthma. Since Vitamin A stimulates the performance of your immune system, it helps in the prevention and treatment of respiratory problems and other health conditions.

Consume bitter gourd at night before bed. Grind the root of bitter gourd to get 1 teaspoon paste. Add one teaspoon of honey to the paste.

Bitter gourd is rich in vitamin C, which is a natural antioxidant. It helps to fight free radicals in your lungs and is an effective remedy for asthma. It is also rich in vitamin A, which aids in treating respiratory tract infections.

The bitter flavor of the vegetable helps to reverse airway cell contraction and aids in treating asthma and other obstructive diseases.

Consume fenugreek. Add a teaspoon of fenugreek to a cup of water and bring it to boil. Filter it and add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of ginger juice. The combination is a great expectorant and helps to clear your airways.

Fenugreek is rich in minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients. It gives nourishment to your body and aids in curing coughing, which is a common symptom in asthma.

Drink drumstick leaves soup. Add a bunch of leaves to a glass of water and bring it to boil. Filter it and let it cool. Add ½ a teaspoon of crushed pepper and two drops of lemon juice.

Drumstick leaves are a rich source of antioxidants owing to their flavonoid content. Flavonoids enhance Vitamin C, which aid in treating cough and cold. They also help in preventing and treating asthma owing to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Apply camphor and mustard oil to your chest and massage it in gently.Take two to three teaspoons of mustard oil and heat it until it is a comfortable temperature. Add camphor to the oil and mix the solution well before you apply it to your chest.

Keep a journal to trace any patterns between allergic reactions and potential allergens you may have consumed. This will help you recognize and avoid any specific allergies that could also trigger asthma attacks.

If you have a family history of allergies, avoid preparing certain foods for your infant. Do not feed them artificial foods, eggs, cocoa, juices and wheat preparation until they are six months old.[15]

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Together, they cited 18 references.

Reader Success Stories

SK

Srishti Kumar

Apr 24, 2018

"Drinking a drink comprising of ginger, turmeric, lemon, honey, and green tea twice daily works the best and soothes the asthma. Also, a regular moderate walk which challenges the lungs a bit helps in increased lung capacity. Keeping a handkerchief handy helps."..." more

MG

Martha Gaingos

Jan 10

"My grandson is asthmatic. I learned a lot from this article and will try out some of the tips I got from it. Thank you very much."..." more